The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) administers the RBI Assistant recruitment annually. The exam is conducted for the recruitment of assistants at the RBI located in various zones of the country. The exam is not easy and a huge number of applicants apply for the recruitment process, which means that the competition is extremely high every year. Due to an increased demand for the post, the recruitment process conducted and administered by the Reserve Bank of India is taken in three stages – the RBI Assistant Preliminary exam, the RBI Assistant Mains examination, and the language proficiency test.
The preliminary test is qualifying in nature and its marks will not be considered in the final assessment. The difficulty of the paper is increasing as more and more candidates are applying for the post. So, candidates must prepare for the RBI Assistant exam with utmost sincerity and attentiveness. If you are planning to appear for the RBI Assistant Examination, then we are to guide you on how to prepare for the RBI Assistant examination. Let’s go to the details.
1. Understanding the RBI Assistant Exam Syllabus & Pattern
Understanding the syllabus and exam pattern of the RBI assistant exam is of utmost importance for the candidates who are appearing or are planning to appear for the RBI Assistant exam. The RBI assistant examination paper will be based on the syllabus that has been provided by the Reserve Bank of India.
The RBI assistant examination is conducted in three phases – RBI Assistant preliminary examination, RBI Assistant main examination, and Language Proficiency Test. In the RBI assistant preliminary examination, the paper will consist of 100 questions divided between the following sections – English language, numerical ability, and reasoning ability. The prelims will be qualifying in nature and those who get the cut off marks will only be able to sit for the RBI mains examinations.
In the RBI assistant main examination, the online paper will consist of 200 questions divided equally amongst five sections – English language, quantitative aptitude, reasoning ability, computer knowledge, and general awareness. Those who qualify for the RBI Assistant main examination will have to take the Language Proficiency Test.
RBI ASSISTANT EXAM PATTERN
| STAGE | SECTIONS | NO. OF QUESTIONS | MARKS | TIME | QUESTION TYPE |
| RBI Assistant Preliminary Examination | English Language | 30 | 30 | 1 hour in total | Objective type questions |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | |||
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | |||
| TOTAL | 100 | 100 | |||
| RBI Assistant Main Examination | English Language | 40 | 40 | 30 min | Objective type questions |
| Reasoning Ability | 40 | 40 | 30 min | ||
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 40 | 30 min | ||
| Computer Awareness | 40 | 40 | 20 min | ||
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 | 25 min | ||
| TOTAL | 200 | 200 | 2 hours 15 min |
RBI ASSISTANT EXAM SYLLABUS
| SUBJECT | TOPICS |
| General Awareness | Books and Authors, History of India, Current affairs and Politics in India, Science, Geography of India, Socio-economic Policy Development, Indian Economy, Human Right Issues, State, countries, institutions, Logical Reasoning, etc. |
| Computer Awareness | Languages, MS-Office, History of Computers, Basics of Hardware and Software, Devices, Operating System, Virus and Hacking, Internet. |
| Reasoning Ability | Number Series, Odd Man Out, Seating arrangements, Blood Relation, Coding and Decoding, Analogy, Direction Based Questions, Symbols, etc. |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Ratio and Proportions, Number Series, Approximations, Simplification, Data Interpretation, Quadratic Equation, Averages, Mensuration, Interest, etc. |
| English Language | Sentence Completion, One – Word Substitution, Reading Comprehension, Synonyms, Antonyms, Sentence Corrections, Cloze Test, Sentence Rearrangement, Phrases, Active and Passive Voice, etc. |
2. Chart Out a Study Plan for Yourself
Every RBI Assistant candidate needs to chart out a study plan to organize their exam preparation properly. Since multiple sections are going to be asked in the examination, you need to cover up all sections equally. As one would expect, your preparation should first focus on the sections that are required for the preliminary test because it is a qualifying test and you need to make sure that you get the minimum cut off marks to be able to appear for the RBI Assistant Main examination.
Try to study for at least 6-8 hours for this examination. The earlier you start studying, the faster your studies will be completed. You will also not affect your sleep. Do not create a packed study schedule include small breaks that are required for relaxation of mind and body. If you think that you are lagging in one section, then you can allot more time to that section and work on it. However, this should not compromise the time for the other section – you need to allow at least 1.5 – 2 hours to other sections as well.
3. Revise as Much as You Can
Revision is the heart of preparation. Without revisions, your preparation is incomplete. An extensive syllabus like that of the RBI Assistant examination needs to be revised properly. The finest way of revising is practising previous year question papers and mock tests. Previous year question papers will help you get familiar with the type of questions that come. Moreover, if you follow previous year question papers closely, you can identify the trends and topics that are recurrent.
You will find RBI Assistant prelims free mock test and RBI Assistant main mock test available online. You can take these tests to understand your performance in detail – what are your strengths and in which topics are you lagging. Mock tests and previous year question papers will help you in working towards better management of time.
4. Choose the Correct Study Material
Today you can find hundreds of books available for just one topic. Imagine the level of confusion it can create for those preparing to sit for the examination. But some books have been recommended by scholars and experts now and then. You should do proper research before referring to any book. Go through the interviews of toppers and try to analyze their study pattern and the study material that they used. Some books that have been suggested by experts are as follows:
| Book | Author (s)/Publication |
| High School English Grammar & Comprehension | Wren & Martin |
| Objective General English | S P Bakshi |
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | S Chand Publications |
| Fast Track Objective Arithmetic | Rajesh Verma |
| A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning | R S Aggarwal |
| Analytical Reasoning | S Chand Publications |
| Lucent’s General Knowledge | Lucent Publications |
| Manorama Yearbook | – |
| Objective Computer Awareness | R Pillai |
Hope this article helps you clear the exam. All the best!